Hurricane Irma, Fear, and Jesus Christ

With Hurricane Irma around Antigua & Barbuda, I was already scared for my family in Miami that was about to face its category 5 winds head-on. Especially vulnerable were the homes in which my husband’s family members live, given that they are all closer to the coast. Yes, I was already feeling anxious and worried for them.

And then my husband decided to fly out to Miami from Phoenix and help his family prepare for the storm.

I’d like to tell you that I hugged him before he left, with a heart full of faith, and gave him encouraging words before heading to the airport. I’d love to tell you that I was confident that God would protect him in what was predicted to be a direct hit “worse than Andrew’s” (at the time). I’d love to say that I was okay to welcome the best case scenario, the worst case scenario, and anything in between with full trust in God.

But I can’t say any of those things because they would be lies.

The truth is, I was scared. I still am a bit scared. Even with the recent advisories saying Miami will feel less and less of the worst parts of the storm, I am still worried. Hurricanes are unpredictable. Trajectories can change within minutes and communities predicted to be fine can be hit head on (Andrew taught me that). Hurricanes can have unexpected impacts (Katrina taught me that). There is no “control” when it comes to things in nature. There are no certainties.

I wanted to write this blog post before Miami gets hit with anything serious. I don’t care if nobody reads it until way later (I don’t care if it’s read at all, to be honest). I wanted to make sure my words were down BEFORE any of the results of this Hurricane came back to me.

I already ruined my chance to give God glory by letting fear get the best of me. I want to use the little bit of that testimony I have left to praise Him, glorify Him, and point to Him.

We still don’t know the impact this storm will have on Florida (or any other state, for that matter). As I said earlier, hurricanes are unpredictable. Yesterday, God brought something to my mind to comfort me in that uncertainty. It was a video on YouTube I saw years ago with a clip from one of Matt Chandler’s sermons.

If you choose not to watch it, Matt Chandler says this; He explains how his wife tells him to “be safe” when he flies in an airplane. He often makes a joke that a seatbelt isn’t going to protect you on an airplane in the event of a crash, so you can’t really “be safe” when you fly. That said, his response to his wife is “I am untouchable until it’s time”. In other words, until God wants him home, he is untouchable. Nobody can supersede God.

Could I lose my husband to Irma? Could I lose family and friends? I’ll say it once again, hurricanes are unpredictable. It could dissipate and cause nothing more than rain, or it could strengthen back to a category 5 and turn to hit South Miami head on. Miami is under tornado warning. Many homes during Hurricane Andrew were destroyed due to tornadoes.

So, could I lose people I know and love due to Hurricane Irma? The honest answer to that is “yes“.

But until God calls his saints home, they are UNTOUCHABLE.

That is a truth I wanted to speak BEFORE I lost anything. I didn’t want my words to be tainted with “well, she didn’t lose anyone, so of course she said that“. I may still lose people. I am praying I don’t. I haven’t stopped praying for protection and peace for them. I won’t until this storm is nothing more than a harmless cloud in the sky.

Miami family and friends, I am praying for you all. I am praying for all of Florida, the states who may feel Irma next, and all of the countries that have already experienced Irma. I am praying for all of those family members who, like me, have to watch Irma from a distance and just wait until after it’s over.

Saints, join me in praying for all affected by Irma. Thank you to all of those who have reached out to me with words of comfort, especially those going through the storm themselves. I can express how meaningful your kind words and prayers are to me. I am grateful to God for such good friends and family members.

Published by christinaxarteaga

Christina Arteaga (who sometimes goes by Christina Chanel) is, quite simply, a grace addict. Everything else in her life stems from her love of Jesus Christ. She is a wife, a mother, an artist, and a writer, but most importantly, she is a child of a God and a worshipper of Jesus Christ.
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